Address: 20 Queen St. S

Also Known As: The Star Theatre

“It might be best to start with the Kitchener Opera,” said Mancini. “Halls Lane used to lead there.”

The Kitchener Opera House first opened to the public in September 1896. Financed by Abel Walper, who owned The Walper Hotel, it sat up to 600 theatre-goers at one time.

The Opera House was located at the back of The Walper, facing Queen Street, where it became a central node in what was then called Berlin. Weekly performances cost anywhere from 15 cents to a full dollar. As other theatres appeared in the city, the Opera House was converted into a film theatre called Star Theatre. But ultimately it couldn’t keep up with bigger venues and was forced to close down. An extended section of the Walper Hotel now sits on its foundations."

Ratzlaff, Seth. "If street could talk: Hall's Lane Downtown Kitchener." the Community edition. 4 May 2016. Accessed 4 Jul 2017. communityedition.ca/if-street-could-talk-halls-lane-downtown-kitchener/